Harabaas: Reaching Howrah in the morning of the next day, 4th May, they (Akshay Gupta and some Devotees) went with Thakur to Harabaas, Profulla Babu’s new house. Here, the Lord attended the opening ceremony of that new house. On Good-Friday in 1927, Thakur expressed in the Radhanagar festival His desire that P. C. Ganguly should enter house on Akshoya Tritiya (the third lunar day of the bright fortnight in the month of Vaishakha. April-May). To carry out His order, P. C. Ganguly carried on the repairing work of the house with great speed, yet so much work remained to be done that it was almost impossible to finish it on Akshoya Tritiya and arrange for the festival. His two Engineer friends seeing the work said, “Impossible”. Relying upon Thakur, he did not lose hope. Afterwards on one night he saw in a dream that the Lord had come to ‘Harabaas’ with His devotees, that seating Him on a high seat he himself sat at His holy feet in joy, that the ceremony of entering house was performed and that a festival was going on in Harabaas. With redoubled, enthusiasm he carried on the work. In truth the repairing work of the house was finished, the Lord came exactly on the Akshoya Tritiya day. Immediately after the Lord came in the morning, venerable Shisir Kumar Ghosal came with his wife taking garlands and flowers. They both helped them in the festival. After refreshing Himself, the Lord bathed in the Ganges. Afterwards He putting rice into the mouth of his second son and finished the ‘Annaprasana. At night 300 devotees and other gentlemen ate, though the provision was made only for 130 persons. Devotees such as Basanta Kumar Ganguli, Ashu Bagchi and others passed the whole night in joy performing imitation Yatra’ (indigenous Opera), Affectionate Brajendranath Kundu and Basudev Mojumdar became blessed by devoting themselves to Thakur’s personal service.

Events at Harabaas: Thakur was seated in a room in the second storey of ‘Harabaas’ house. There were only a few devotees near Him. One asked, “In all the ‘sadhanas’ a ‘sadhaka’ gradually understands whether his sadhana is going right or not. They can know that gradually their subtle powers are being unfolded. Is there no means for those who are doing “Naam Sadhana” to know whether taking Name is proceeding rightly or not?” Haranath replied, “The person taking Name may not always understand what is occurring within himself, but he can understand this much that he is gaining taste for repeating Name, and that he would feel uneasy if he cannot take Name. In the Nama Sadhana, the more one progresses, the more will be effaced his sense of I-ness and mine-ness. Do not bother whether the Name is being done properly or not; He whose name you are taking, will see to it. You just take Name, just take Name.” (Haranath. Smriti-6)

Sitting before Thakur in the upper storey one devotee started criticizing the conduct of an absent devotee. Interfering with it, Haranath said, “Avoid criticizing anyone. It is a common truth that a person who resorts to criticism, would be forced by circumstances, to commit the very act that he had criticized.”  (H. Sm-1) [This saying of Thakur reminds us of a saying of Sri Radha mentioned in the poems of saints. At home and outside in Brindavana she has got the Name of “Krishna Kalankini” (having infamy on account of Krishna), discussion about her was going on everywhere, and She could no more maintain her patience. Out of her sorrow she said, “He will become like me, who will talk of me.” (He who will talk about Radha and Krishna or discuss about them, will also have to become “Krishna Kalankini’ some day or other as per the word of Sree Radha)]

For the whole day the festival went on. Due to excessive weakness Thakur almost fell into a swoon at the time of mid-day meal, yet He charmed the audience by delivering a very fine discourse on Krishna Prema (love of Krishna) up to 11 p.m, of that day.

About the house acquired by P. C. Ganguly retired Dt. Board Engineer and opened by Thakur on 04-05-1927, Thakur said to Ganguly, “Let your house be for daily service and for rendezvous of devotees.” By the Lord’s blessings that place acquired that greatness. Ever since that time, that house was being used as Ashram by the devotees round about Howrah. The rooms of the second storey of the building have been entirely reserved for the service of the Lord and for lodgings of the devotees. Devotees can remain as long as they please. Both lodging and boarding were arranged for the devotees. There the cot, bed, curtain and other things used by the Lord have been preserved carefully as relics. In the day time the Lord’s photo is taken downstairs and every service is done to it (what was done to Lord when He stayed there in flesh and blood) and in the night it is carried upstairs and services for rest in the night are done to it daily on that cot.

Next morning i. e., on 5th, A. K. Gupta and his wife went to bow at the time of starting from that place. Thakur said to Akshoy Kumar Gupta, “Take my mother to Barisal and give her perfect rest.” He said no more about medical treatment which He said on the previous day. This statement assured Gupta that there would be no more any fear about his wife’s life. But he felt sorry to find Thakur Himself was suffering drawing His wife’s disease to Himself.

N.B. Collected and Compiled from “Lord Haranath-Antya Leela (Volume 3-Part 2)” written by A. Ramakrishna Sastry, 1973 and Haranath Smriti, and Haranath The Deliverer of Mankind written by Haragopal Sepuri, 2002.

Jai Haranath Jai Kusumkumari Jai